Robot Toys for Children (and Parents) 2018 Christmas

A few decades ago, robots were a budding field of engineering, largely restricted to the pages of sci-fi novels and imaginations of everyday people.

Needless to say, those same people would likely have their minds blown by the saturation of robots in today’s world. From factories to child playrooms, robots are now everywhere. Consequently, the world of robotic toys has become increasingly advanced, even incorporating AI into their software.

The last few years have seen major leaps in child robotics, and the 2018 Christmas season is shaping up to be an exciting. So without further ado.

Anki Cozmo

The Anki Cosmo has been charming adults and children alike for years now with its adorable design and emotive AI software. Although it is not the newest robotic toy on the market, it’s flexible source code has ensured that it will last long into the future.

It has a unique personality that makes it more akin to a dog than a toy, making it appropriate for kids (and adults) of all ages. Cozmo evolves to adapt to its users, developing unique personality quirks over time to keep its owners surprised.

Cozmo additionally eases children into the world of coding (undoubtedly an important field in this day and age) with its code lab feature.

The code for Cozmo is open for users to manipulate and modify at their discretion, allowing an entire range of new functions and actions to be created.

The robot does come prepackaged with a variety of feature, however, including facial recognition and the ability to speak and react to its environment. More information about Cozmo can be found on its webpage.

Sphero BB-8

The Sphero BB-8 captured audience attention when it first appeared in the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Since then, just about every toy imaginable based on the spheroid robot has been released.

Coolest of all is the robotic remote controlled version of this likable droid. Just like in the movie, the robot version rolls on a ball base while keeping its head in place.

BB-8 is controlled using an app on android or IOS, and can respond to voice commands, making it an uncanny twin to its movie-star cousin.

BB-8 does not have much to offer in terms of being educational or stimulating creativity, but we had to include it on the list because the way it moves is unlike any other robot on the market, and it is just plain cool to roll around the house.

Deluxe Eco Robotics

For kids interested in building robotcs and a future career in engineering, the Deluxe Eco Robotics package might be the ideal robotic pick for this coming Christmas.

The robot is not so much a robot as it is a robot building kit as it includes nearly 200 robotic parts and instructions on how to assemble various configurations of the robot.

14 robots can be assembled from the parts supplied in the kit, encouraging creativity within kids and providing hours (if not days) of endless fun and intrigue. The robots are not difficult to assemble and make robot building easy while still being educational.

Robots are becoming an increasingly significant part of our lives, and it is likely that many kids will be working in the field of robotics further down the road. Robotic toys are a phenomenal way to jump start children into the incredible world of circuitry and AI, not to mention, robots are just too darn fun to play with.

So this Christmas, pick up one of these robot toys. They are both educational and fun, providing a great way for kids to develop their interests while still enjoying themselves.

Whether they want to become robotic engineers in the future, or if they just want a less care intensive pet, kids will have a blast with any of the robots on our list.